Australia fight back after top order collapses

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Perth, January 17:: India had Australia on the ropes on the second morning of the third cricket Test with three quick wickets at the WACA in Perth on Thursday.

Irfan Pathan sent back the two openers in one over and RP Singh accounted for Mike Hussey (0) from the other to have the hosts reeling at 22 for 3 in reply to India's first innings total of 330.

Pathan, in his second over, first took the wicket of newcomer Chris Rogers (4) leg before and then had Phil Jacques driving at an out swinger to be caught at the second slip by V V S Laxman.

RP Singh then struck another blow to the hosts when he made Mike Hussey edge a swinging delivery straight to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Skipper Ricky Ponting (6) and Michael Clarke (4) were at the crease at lunch.

Earlier, India suffered a dramatic collapse after resisting for a good part of the first hour of the second day's play and a bad umpiring decision from Asad Rauf made matter worse.

Dhoni (19) and Irfan Pathan (28) negotiated the new ball and had taken the overnight score of 297 for 7 to 328.

Dhoni was unlucky to be adjudged leg before by Rauf off a Stuart Clarke delivery as the ball hit high on his well-stretched front foot.

And from then on it was a collapse as India lost its last four wickets for two runs from 16 balls.

Stuart Clark, brought in after the pair of Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were unable to break the stand in 11 overs between them, did the damage.

Clark struck in his very first over and from then on, Australia piled on the pressure.

Pathan fell next when was out leg before wicket to Johnson and Clark struck off the very first delivery of his next over when Kumble drove him into covers and was caught by Rogers.

The end was now near and Johnson brought it about with his fourth wicket, RP Singh lobbing a catch to gully off a short, rising delivery.

Johnson finished with 4 for 86, while Brett Lee with 3 for 71 was the next best for the hosts.

Indian new ball bowlers RP and Pathan swung the ball and had the Australian openers in trouble. But debutant Rogers would consider himself unlucky as he fell lbw to Pathan to a delivery that might have missed the leg stump and the decision again came from Rauf.